The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for teaching and entertainment and, in particular, to an apparatus for interactively presenting information in multiple formats simultaneously to an audience.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,177 shows a real-time audience response system in which the audience is looking at a common display.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,055 shows a computer display system in which a hand-held remote control is utilized to select stored images to be displayed on a primary display and also different images to be displayed on a secondary display located on the remote control means.
The present invention concerns an apparatus for interactively presenting information to members of an audience including a computer server means, a visual display means connected to the computer server means for displaying information to all members of an audience, an information storage means connected to the computer server means for storing information related to a plurality of categories and a plurality of topics related to each of the categories, and a plurality of seat computer means connected to the computer server means. Each seat computer means generates category selection signals and topic selection signals upon actuation by an associated member of the audience and displays the stored information to the associated audience member. The computer server means is responsive to the category selection signals for controlling the visual display means to display the stored information related to at least a first topic choice related to a first category choice of the audience and, for each audience member who did not select the first category choice, for controlling the associated seat computer means to display the stored information related to another one of the categories selected by the audience member. The computer server means includes a main server connected to a slave server through a server hub and an audience response server connected to the server hub and to the seat computer means through a network hub. The information storage means includes a memory in the main server and a laser disc unit connected to the slave server.
The information storage means can include an audio means for generating sounds related to the stored information being displayed to all the members of the audience by the visual display means. The apparatus can include lighting means connected to the computer server means for generating lighting effects related to the stored information being displayed to all the members of the audience by the visual display means. The apparatus also can include at least one robot means connected to the computer server means for moving in relation to the stored information being displayed to all the members of the audience by the visual display means.
The invention also concerns a method of operating the apparatus including the steps of: displaying the plurality of categories of information on the visual display means and at the seat computer means; sensing with the computer server means the category selection signals generated by the audience members and determining the first category choice; displaying the plurality of topics of information related to the first choice category on the visual display means and at the seat computer means associated with the audience members who selected the first choice category; sensing with the computer server means the topic selection signals generated by the audience members and determining the first topic choice; displaying the stored information related to the first topic choice related to the first category choice of the audience on the visual display means and on the seat computer means of each audience member who selected the first category choice; and displaying the stored information related to another one of the categories selected by the audience member on the seat computer means of the audience member who selected the another category choice.